Last month, we announced plans to no longer support two very old security systems called SSLv3 and RC4 when sending messages with Gmail SMTP, and today, we are announcing that Gmail IMAP/POP will follow suit and no longer support SSLv3 and RC4 connections after June 16, 2016.

Unlike Gmail SMTP, this change will be rolled out as a gradual change, where it may take longer than 30 days for users to be fully restricted from connecting to Gmail from SSLv3 or RC4 connections; however, we recommend updating your clients soon in order to avoid any potential disruption.

Please note: When given the choice, the vast majority of mail clients already favor modern TLS connections over outdated ones, so the majority of users are not affected by this change.

Action for admins still using SSLv3 or RC4 on IMAP or POP clients:

Most Google Apps customers have already stopped using IMAP or POP clients that connect to mail servers using SSLv3 and RC4. After June 16, 2016, if users attempt to connect to Gmail from mail clients using SSLv3 or RC4, they may see connection errors for short periods of time.

If your mail clients only support SSLv3 and RC4, please update them so that they use recommended TLS configurations. See our announcement from last year in the Google Security Blog to see the recommended standards for TLS clients.

After June 16, 2016, IMAP and POP clients using SSLv3 or RC4 will gradually no longer be able to connect with Google’s mail servers. As a more general reminder, we plan to deprecate SSLv3 and RC4 across all of Google and any other systems relying on these less secure protocols over time. We suggest proactively updating to the recommended standards for TLS clients as a best practice.

Thank you for helping us keep mail safe for Google Apps users around the world.

Localized G Suite Updates

Useful Links

In the Cloud Connect Community, discuss the latest features with Googlers and other G Suite admins like you. Learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with G Suite.